After two straight losses and a tie, the Brandon hockey team got back in the win column.
The host Blackhawks defeated Flint Metro League rival Fenton 4-1 Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Polar Palace in Lapeer, improving to 8-2-1 overall and 5-1 in league competition.
Four different players ? Mike Ross, Scott Thurman, Ryan Quarrella and Kyle Jackson ? scored for the Blackhawks. Steven Tallman and Mike Cybulski each notched two assists.
In a physical yet well-played contest, the host Blackhawks tied Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central 5-5 on Friday, Jan. 16.
The two teams played for the second time in a week. On Jan. 10, the host Panthers routed the Blackhawks 10-5.
The game featured plenty of hitting on both sides, but there were only four penalties apiece for each team. Five different players scored goals for the Blackhawks, and Tallman added three assists for Brandon.
The two teams traded goals in the first period and battled to a 2-2 tie at the end of the period. The Blackhawks scored just 32 seconds into the game, as Jackson connected on an assist from Tallman. The Panthers answered at 2:13 of the first as Evan Visuri scored on assists from Nick Hurd and Andrew Roberts.
Brandon regained the lead at 3:18 of the first, as Scotty Steudle scored his first goal of the season on assists from Jackson and Tallman. However, the Panthers again answered the Blackhawks, as Hurd and Roberts connected once more at 4:52 of the period.
The Blackhawks took command of the game with two second-period goals, as Ross scored on an assist from Joel Pappas at 1:38 of the period, and Cybulski connected at 13:21 on assists from Tallman and Jackson.
Brandon increased their lead to 5-2 at 5:45 of the third, as Pappas found the net on an assist from Ross. However, the Panthers mounted a furious comeback, scoring three goals in the last 10 minutes of the game to force the tie.
Blackhawks goalie David Hughes stopped 27-of-32 shots (84.4 percent), while his Nouvel counterpart, Garrett Erwin, stopped 9-of-14 shots (64.3 percent).
The Blackhawks competed against the Bloomfield United team Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the Polar Palace in a game postponed due to the Jan. 14 snowstorm, then travel to Waterford Kettering for a 1:20 p.m. game Saturday, Jan. 24.
Brandon returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 28 when they host Auburn Hills Avondale at 7 p.m.